Here Forever
by star.everlasting
Summary: Cloud can't take it anymore. He goes back, facing the emotions, the pain...the day he lost her. .:.sweetly, and purely Clerith.:.


**Here Forever**

**By Narnian magic**

UGH. I. AM. SO. PISSED. WHY DID MY DOCUMENT NOT RECOVER??

Sheesh. Sorry. My computer restarted, and my first document was ERASED. ERASED, I TELL YOU!! SO FREAKING PISSED!! Anyway. This story starts out ANGSTY, just a warning. But keep reading, people, to the end. Where all things great happen...XD

Disclaimer: own nothing but storyline.

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The man sped across the land, ignoring everything in his path, impatient to get to his destination. The scenery changed, and white trees surrounded him, the shadows a peaceful blue from the light the water underneath him was throwing at every direction. He slowed, and stopped.

Cloud Strife had arrived. Here, two years ago, he laid her body to rest in the Lifestream. Two years ago, she died, saving the planet. Memories came rushing back like a waterfall. He barely felt his knees crashing onto the earth, the cold wind that knocked against him. The scene from that day came back to him, he saw through his own eyes his love, murdered by his enemy right in front of him and he _didn't do anything about it._ He remembered seeing her smile even as she died. He saw through her eyes, felt the pain when the sword ripped through her body, taking the life from her. He saw through Sephiroth's eyes as he killed the Ancient who was so special to Cloud, the last Cetra. He didn't notice when he had started crying, he just did. Wrenching his head up from his hands, he cried out, in the loudest, most broken-hearted voice that any man has ever known. "AERITH!!"

He buried his head back into his hands and he cried, and cried, the tears never ceasing. The pain that gripped his heart, that ripped it apart, dominated him, bathing him in the fires and ice that burned his heart, his mind, his very being as all of his memories of her came back into his mind. He remembered her beautiful, beautiful green eyes, always smiling, always twinkling. She was never sad, and even if she was, she had never showed it. Her laughter sounded like an angel's singing, her long, chestnut hair that was oh so soft, her pink ribbon that was always there, along with her white materia. He remembered how she was always there for him, always next to him, always helped, always _cared. _

Cloud lifted his Mako-infused blue eyes, sparkling with tears, after an eternity to look at the spot in the water where he put her body down. Things he had wanted to say, feelings, all stayed bottled up too long, and he couldn't take it. He needed to let it out; he needed for her to know how he felt after her death, after she left him. He needed her forgiveness. He needed her smile, her laughter, needed her eyes to connect with his again, he needed her care, her arms around him, he needed her love.

Swallowing hard, he walked slowly towards and into the water, reminiscing every step of the way, every memory he had with her, of her. He approached that very place that he was, two years ago, with her, lifeless in his arms. Cloud felt everything, every emotion course through him as he struggled to let out the words he tried to say. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Anger, Guilt, Helplessness, Sadness, Despair…they enveloped him until he felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. Cloud didn't feel the numbness from the water, didn't feel the wind, ferocious as ever, didn't hear or see his tears, running down his face and creating ripples in the water below.

"Aerith, I…" he managed to choke between his sobs. "Aerith…I…I…I'm so sorry…" he paused, unsure of his strength to go on. "I…I promised to protect you…I was your bodyguard, I…I…" he stopped, sobs wracking his body, his soul being torn apart. "I watched you die, and I didn't do anything about it. Aerith, I…I'm sorry…I couldn't protect you…I wasn't a good enough bodyguard…I…You…You died because of me…" he choked out, and the winds howled in protest in his ears, but he took no notice.

"Aerith, I miss you, I…Aerith, I…I love you." He stopped for real this time, not having the strength to say anymore. A scream of despair, of brokenness ripped from his throat, his body, his very soul, and into the heavens, into the ears of every living human being, who, at that moment, shared the same pain of the man who had lost his everything. Storm clouds rolled in, covering the beautiful blue expanse upon his cry, thunder cracked and lightning streaked across the sky, rain started to billow out of the heavens so hard that none dared be outside. Cloud felt all his emotions erupt at the same time, as, magically, rain started to fall on him, drenching him, soaking him, choking him. Something appeared in his hand, and as he looked at what was inside, he was startled to find a white Materia. Her Materia.

Suddenly, everything was around him, squeezed him in, bound him, and Cloud felt like he was drowning, he couldn't breathe…and then, a miraculous light appeared in front of his eyes. A shadow rose from the depths of the water, and then his world went black. He remembered green eyes, staring into his own as he fell, dead to the world around him.

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He was warm. He was dry. He felt safe. Yet, he could not open his eyes. He sensed a presence next to him, and a cool hand pressed onto his forehead. He heard someone sigh, and felt his hand being picked up, that someone stroking it.

Cloud struggled, and when he managed to regain his vision, someone's shadow above him, peering at him. He heard something that sounded like a sob and a laugh put together, the sound of an angel's voice filled his ears. "You're awake." The man sat up, and couldn't take his eyes off of the person in front of him. It was the last person he had ever expected to see. It was Aerith Gainsborough.

"A…Ae…Aerith?" Cloud stuttered. Aerith laughed, and it was just as he remembered it, an angel's melody. "You're…You're not dead?" he asked, hoping this was not a dream. "I was." She smiled, that beautiful smile that he missed so much. "You revived me." "But…how?" Aerith grinned, and started to explain. "A part of me always lived within you, Cloud. With your belief in me and your hope, your feelings, I was allowed to live on Earth again."

She stretched out her hand, waiting for him to take it, to let him know that she was real, she was there. Cloud didn't take her hand right away. He was so scared, so scared that his hand will go through yet again, and that it'd be a dream, and he'd wake up in his bed, covered in sweat. Hesitantly, he closed his eyes, and gave her his hand. Instead, he felt something press against his lips, and his eyes flew open in surprise, to meet Aerith's, her eyes closed. Cloud started crying. She was real, and she _was _here. He let his eyes fall close, and gathering her up in his arms, he kissed her back, passionately, freeing all of the bottled up feelings that he had for two years. When they parted, their foreheads rested against each other.

"You're really back." He whispered, his clear, beautiful blue eyes brimming with tears. Her eyes mimicked his although her's were the most beautiful green anyone could ever find anywhere, in anyone, any lifetime. "I'm back, Cloud. I love you." She whispered back, closing her eyes as he did his. Their fingers intertwined, Aerith whispered to him once more. "And I'll always be here…forever…" she couldn't finish her sentence, too happy that she could be with her true love, her soul mate once more. "Until forever meets no end." Cloud finished for her. "I promise." The two whispered their promise to one another, drinking deep from the love they shared, and that was all it mattered and was going to matter…forever.

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NM: OMG!! My first FFVII story!! W00t!! I did it in about an hour an a half…: ) so. Comments, anyone?


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